Marriage and Marriage Preparation

The Mission of the Archdiocesan Office of Marriage, Family and Life is to assist and encourage all Christians to fulfill their call to holiness.

Pope John Paul II and the documents of 2nd Vatican Council call the laity to transform the world where they live. Our office promotes this evangelization, helping to create a culture of life, by programs that support: the vocation of marriage, the single state and outreach to youth and young adults.

We seek to support strong vocations rooted in faith and Christian freedom, lived in service to our families, communities, and church parishes.

Upcoming Events

The Office of Marriage Family and Life offers a marriage preparation program for engaged couples. In order to help you fully prepare to live out your God-given vocation as husband and wife, you and your future spouse are invited to attend Living God's Love: The Sacrament of Marriage, a marriage preparation program serving the Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis and surrounding dioceses. Offering either a weekend program or evening series, Living God's Love is designed to help you prepare as a couple for the Sacrament of Matrimony and to reflect on the beauty and richness of the Church's teaching on marriage and the family. This important preparation provides you with opportunities to spend time as an engaged couple discussing various topics vital to your marriage.

“Marriage and family cannot … be considered a simple product of historical circumstances, or a superstructure imposed on human love from the outside. On the contrary, they are an interior demand of this love so that it may be carried out in the truth and fullness of self-giving.”

Unity, indissolubility, and openness to life, characteristics of the conjugal union, “which today, are frequently misunderstood and rejected, are necessary so that it may be an authentic pact of love. Precisely in this way, the bond that unites man and woman becomes an image and symbol of the alliance between God and His people. …

Therefore, marriage between baptized persons is a sacrament, effective sign of grace and salvation.”

Parish Liaisons

The Archdiocesan Office for Marriage, Family and Life seeks a contact person within each parish, known as a parish liaison. As a parish liaison you help ensure that members at your parish are informed about Archdiocesan events and resources available to them and their family members and those dear to them. If you would like to be the family life liaison for your parish, please contact us.